Forever
by Sakuyan
Summary: A shooting occurs at CalSci and it makes Spencer realize just how important Charlie is to him.


**Authoresses Note: **Woo, two genius characters. This was a difficult piece to write due to that, but I did my best. o_o;; Besides Eppescest, this is the other pairing with our little maths professor that I enjoy writing and reading. Any feedback on how to improve is highly appreciated and don't hesitate to lay it on me if I messed up horribly somewhere. I'm a big girl, I can take it.

Please excuse any OOCness; this was my first time writing CM and thus my first time writing Spencer. I'm getting a feel for his character... slowly. I'll get a grip on him one of these days. _One of these days._

**Rating: **T for violence.

**Pairing: **Spencer(CM)/Charlie(Numb3rs).

**Notes: **Nothing really. Onto the story!

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**Forever**

* * *

"_We interrupt this broadcast to bring breaking news. A shooting has occurred at CalSci. Sixteen wounded, three dead-…"_

Spencer's eyes widen. "CalSci?" he murmurs, his heart racing in his chest. Adrenaline pumps in his blood. He turns off the television, grabs his coat, and runs to his car.

It seems to take eons to reach his destination. Sirens blare, students and professors run amongst the grounds, officers and FBI agents crowd the area. It was chaos incarnate.

Cruel as it sounds, Spencer doesn't care about anything except finding one specific person. The one he moved from Quantico to Los Angeles to be with, the one person he would stop at nothing to protect. He gets out, slamming the door behind him, and runs, flashing his badge at anyone who bars his way.

"I'm looking for Professor Charles Eppes," he says to one of the officers who gives him a look. "Do you know where he is?"

"Professor Eppes?" the officer clarifies, jerking his thumb behind him. "Should be in the next ambulance over."

_So he's not dead. _Spencer lets out a sigh of relief. It's short lived because if Charlie's not dead, he could be one of the wounded. Shaking his head of the thoughts, Spencer goes to where the officer indicated.

A familiar mass of curls greets his eyes and he can't help the smile that etches its way on his face. Spencer moves closer, seeing the bandage on Charlie's forehead and the fact his left arm is in a sling. "Charlie?" His voice is barely above a whisper.

Charlie looks up, blinking for a moment before a wide smile goes on his face. "Spence!" he exclaims, moving his good arm close enough so that he can grab the taller man in a one armed hug. "I'm so glad to see you," Charlie murmurs against Spencer's neck and it's at the moment the profiler can feel the trembling in his lover's body.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Spencer reassures, wrapping both of his arms around his professor, appearances be damned. "You're safe. You're safe with me."

"It all happened so fast," the professor mumbles, wincing when he tries to move his injured arm. "I was lecturing and the next thing I know someone comes in with a gun and-…"

"Shh. It's okay."

"It's not okay!" Charlie's voice takes on an edge of hysteria. "Fifteen of my students—_my students—_are wounded and three of them are dead, dead! And this guy was apparently after me! I can't, I can't-…"

Spencer wraps his arms tighter around his hysterical lover, ever mindful of the way his injured arm is trapped between them. "Hush," he says soothingly, moving his hand up and down Charlie's back. "It wasn't your fault. We'll find out who did this. _I'll _find out who did this, alone if I have to."

"No, if he's after me then he'll come after you because you're associated with me and-…" The mathematician pauses. "Don, where's Don?"

"He's evaluating the scene and taking witness statements with his team and police personnel. He's safe."

Charlie lets out a loud sigh of relief. "I can't bear to lose him again." He leans up and presses his lips against Spencer's own. "Or you. Promise me you'll both be safe."

Spencer nods. "I'll do my best. It's all I can offer," he murmurs, helping Charlie out of the back of the ambulance. "Let's take you home, hm?"

"Right. Home. Of course…."

**X**

It takes two weeks but with Spencer's profiling skills they catch the one responsible for the shooting. Pryce was a man who was obsessed with Charlie ever since he laid eyes on him and the shooting was his sick, twisted way of expressing his adoration for the maths professor.

Spencer uses the key his lover gave him months prior and opens the door to the Craftsman. "Hello?" he says to the seemingly empty house. "Charlie? Alan?"

"In here, Spence!" Charlie's voice echoes through the house and the profiler raises an eyebrow. He was never a fan of dark spaces, not since Tobias Hankiel and the whole dilaudid scenario.

He moves carefully to the kitchen where his lover's hovering over the stove with a wide smile on his face and Charlie's pleasantly humming. "Something smells nice." Spencer grabs Charlie's waist and pulls him over for a quick kiss. "How was your day?"

"I'm not afraid anymore," Charlie offers conversationally as he looks in the oven. "Now that-… um, what was his name again?"

"Pryce. Ashton Pryce." Spencer says the name with venom coating his words. He waves away the professor's concerned stare. "I don't like the thought of a psychopath being obsessed with you and showing his adoration by shooting up one of your classes."

"I… don't particularly like that thought either," Charlie murmurs, shivering a little at the memory. A ding breaks the silence and he adorns a pair of (rather adorable, in Spencer's eyes) oven mitts to take out the food. "We have to save some for Don and Dad," Charlie says with a wink.

"The probability of us not devouring everything you cooked is—"

"Don't start on me."

Spencer lets a small grin form on his face. "I thought you'd like hearing about probabilities and math during dinner."

"I'm just hungry. Math can wait until after I've eaten," Charlie mutters, his own grin forming on his face. "Let's eat."

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_**Fin.**_


End file.
